Agents more key than ever for families A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
The family market is critical to many travel companies’ strategies and there has been a particularly sharp focus on it during this year’s peaks.
In the initial period after the pandemic there was a surge in activity
from customers who had money in the bank and pent-up desire to get away – often in groups spanning multiple generations. But as I have written often in this column in the years since, there was
always going to come a time when pressure on household budgets meant family bookings in the mainstream market could not be taken for granted. Reports from the trade suggest momentum has largely been maintained despite some ups and downs during January and February, and there is certainly no sense of panic (page 4).
But it is also apparent that some families are seeking additional support before committing to their bookings, and there is no better place to find that guidance and expertise than with a travel agent. We hope this family holidays themed edition of Travel Weekly, supported by Atlantis, The Palm (page 10), gives you even more tools to secure that crucial business and ensure 2025 is another successful year for the trade. Also in this week’s issue, we hear from Travel Village Group boss Phil Nuttall, who has raised concerns about the pressure being placed on business development managers (page 5). It’s clear that most BDMs love their jobs and building relationships with agency partners, but Phil believes an increasingly hectic schedule is having a detrimental effect on them. As always, we’d love to hear your views.
Lucy Huxley, editor-in-chief, Travel Weekly Group h CONTENTS NEWS SPECIAL EDITION News
Special Report Comment
4, 8 10 16
News You Can Use 19 Agent Diary Your Stories Destinations
28 30
42-58
Overtourism ‘would trigger trip changes’ 4 Mumsnet users on cost-of-living impact 4 BDMs ‘burnt out by too many events’ 5 Ocean Holidays; suppliers’ demands 6 Agency’s high NPS; Intrepid Borneo trip 8 Special Reports
Atlantis Dubai’s Kyp Charalambous 10 SPAA Annual Dinner, Glasgow
12
comment Gary Pope: Five family holiday trends 16
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Disney, Jet2, Gold Medal, Mar-Bella 19 Kuoni, G Adventures, Tui
Ambassador, Carnival, Windstar
FRONTLINE agent diary
Clare Dudley: Clients feel like family 28 Your Stories Neurodiversity expert Lisa McCallum, Not Just Travel 30
FRONT COVER AND THIS PAGE: Alex Maguire; Joanna Cross; Steve Dunlop; Shutterstock/Billion Photos
travelweekly.co.uk FOLLOW US: @travelweekly
20 22
Under-fives: Top trips for little ones 42 Primary schoolers: Italy to Bequia
47
Teenagers: Screen-break solutions 50 Southeast Asia: Get on track with a family rail holiday from Singapore to Bangkok 54
BUSINESS NEWS
CMA told it has ‘risked its integrity’ 62 Results: NCLH, IAG and Amadeus UK ‘won’t meet 2030 SAF target’
travelweeklyuk
62 63
Gatwick bullish despite plans delay 64 @travelweeklyuk
6 MARCH 2025 3
WHAT LUCY DID THIS WEEK
OAttended the latest Silversea Advocates Lunch and filmed interviews with many agents.
OHosted the first Inspiring Women Lunch of 2025 with guest speaker Anthea Turner. It was great to see so many female leaders attending for the first time.
OHad a night out with fellow mums from my NCT group. We’ve been friends for 19 years and our “babies” are all doing such different things!
Cover Stars One Travel Club agent Nichol Skerritt-Sharrocks 32
The Hotlist
Voting opens for agents’ top suppliers 36 competitions Jersey, Montenegro and a £1k prize 38
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